chandler



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. CHANDLER.

SEWING MAOHINE.

Patented Dec. 10,1889.

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Model) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. CHANDLER.

SEWING MACHINE. v No. 417,146. Patented Dec. 10,1889.-

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( Modem 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

R. CHANDLER. SEWING MACHINE.

. Patented Dec. 10, 1889'.

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R. CHANDLER. SEWING MACHINE.

No. 417,146. I Patented Dec. 10, 1 889.

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U TTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUFUS CHANDLER, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOTHOMAS E. S'LOAN, OF NE YORK, N. Y.

SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 417,146, dated December10, 18839.

Application filed November 10, 1888. Serial No. 290,445. (No model) ToaZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUFUS CHANDLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Double-ActingSewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sewing-machines, and particularly to thatclass of said machines known as double-acting, inasmuch as they containtwo separate systems of sewing mechanism, which operate conjointly toform sin'iultaneously two parallel rows of stitching, the object beingto provide an improved machine of this class in which provision is madefor operating two sewing mechanisms jointly and for removing one of saidmechanisms to convert. the machineinto a single right or left handvertical one; and the invention consists in the peculiar constructionand arrangement of the various parts of the machine, all as hereinafterfully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a double-acting sewingmachine constructed according to myinvention, said figure showing a portion of one sideof the needle armbroken away and oneside of the standards containing the sewing mechanismalso partly broken away. Fig. 2 the front end of the needle-bar arm andits connected parts and of the base portion of the frame of the machine,having one of the hollow standards containing one of the sewingmechanisms removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the upperend of one of the mechanism-containing standards, showing portions ofthe sewing mechanism, hereinafter fully described. Fig. 4: is a top planview, partly in section, of the front end of the needle-bar arm and oftake-up, tension, and thread checking devices, hereinafter fullydescribed. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the front end ofthe needle-bararm, showing thereon portions of the taken and tension mechanisms andtake-up-regulating mechan ism, all of which are hereinafter fullydescribed. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of por tions of the sewingmechanism, hereinafter is a side elevation of.

fully described. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a portion of one of theshafts of the machine and a section of an adj Listing-collar .thereon,all fully described below. Fig. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view, onan enlarged scale, of the two hollow standards and of the duplicatedsewing mechanism contained therein.

In the drawings is shown a frame for containing and supporting theoperating parts of the machine, consisting of a hollow base 2, a hollowvertical post 3,and a needlebar arm 4:, extending horizontally over saidbase, to-' gether with two hollow vertical standards A B, secured bytheir bases or lower ends on the upper side of said hollow base 2 of theframe by screws passing through suitable flanges on the lower ends ofsaid standards or by other suitable means, whereby provision is made forconveniently applying and removing either one of said hollow standards,the latter being, when used in conjunction, secured together side byside by screws passing through suitable holes 00 in flanges thereon,portions of which flanges are shown in Fig.

The main driving mechanism of the machine consists of a horizontal shaft5,extending through saidarm at and having suitable bearings therein, anda driving-pulley 6, fixed on the rear end of said shaft. A crank 7 isfixed on the opposite end of said shaft, whereby avertically-reciproeating motion is imparted to the needle-bar 8, saidbar having a collar 9, adjustably secured thereon, and a connection isformed between said collar and said crank 7 by means of a link 10,pivotally connected by its ends to said collar and crank. Atake-up-actuating cam 12 is secured on said shaft 5 near itscrank-bearing end. Thehollow post 3 has within it, rotating in suitablebearings therein, a vertical shaft 13, having a geared connection withsaid shaft 5, and also a like connection with a horizontal shaft, (shownin dotted lines in the base 2 of the frame,) on which latter-namedshaft, under said hollow standards, is fixed a double bevelgearedpinion, also there indicated in dotted lines. Each of said hollowstandards contains within it a vertical shaft 14, having on its lowerend a bevel-geared pinion engaging with the aforesaid doublebevel-geared pin- IOC ion in the base 2, all as clearly indicated inFig. 1, whereby said shafts 1 L, separately or jointly, are given therequisite rotary motions for actuating the below described sewingmechanisms, which act in conjunction with the needle-bar and needleorneedles and the presser-bar and foot of the machine. Each of saidshafts 1a is supported in its hollow standard, to be rotated andadjusted as follows: The base of the standard A or B is perforated toreceive a sleeve 15, which constitutes the bearing for the lower end ofsaid vertical shaft, said sleeve being tapered externally or of greaterdiameter at its lower end, whereby its opposite end is made capable of aslight degree of vibratory movement to permit the upperend of the shaft14 and the sewing devices connected therewith to be adjusted laterallyrelative to the axial line of the needlebar. 8, for the purpose ofvarying the degree of separation of the two lines of stitches that maybe sewed by the use of the said two mechanismscontainedin said standardsA and B. A screw 16 in the base of the said standard isscrewed againstsaid sleeve to hold it rigidly after it shall have been freed to permitsaid shaft adjustment. The upper end of said shaft l l is ofsemi-spherical form, and has formed thereon a. series of gear-teeth 17,as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, which engage with similarly-formed teeth onthe rear end of the rotary;loop-carrying hook 18. The latternamed hookis that well known to those fa? miliarwith sewing-machines as theW'illcox do Gibbs hook. The upper end of 1 each of said shafts 14: issupported in its hollowstandard Aor B by a transverse journal-bar 19,

oneend of which enters the outer side of said standard, as shown inFigs. 1 and 8, and is adapted to. have a degree of endwise movementtherein to provide for the above-re ferredeto lateral adjustment of theupper end of the shaft 14 and the'sewin g devices attached thereto. Thesaid bar 1 9 has a bearing through it for said shaft 14, and the yoke 20is by its lower end secured thereon by the nut 21, and said yoke isfurther secured in a rigid position, when the parts of the machine areadjusted .for sewing, by a screw 22, which passes through, a slot insaid yoke into a boss 23 on the inside of the hollow standard. (Shown inFig. 3.) The said slot in yoke 20 permits the latter to be moved withthe shaft 14 when the shaft is adjusted laterally, asaforesaid.

The adjoining ends of the journal-bars 19 of the" two hollow standardsare, when the said standards and the two systems of sewing mechanism areused conjointly, united by'a coupling-nut 24, the latter and said shaftsbeing screw-threaded right and left handed, and said nut is turned byinserting the point of an instrument in holes therein, or in any othersuitable way, to separate or approachthe ends of saidjournal-shafts foradjusting the separation of the sewing mechanisms,as aforesaid. Byremoving the said screwslwhich secure the hollow standards together andfrom the foot of one standard one thereof maybe removed from the base 2of the frame of the machine, leaving one (a right or left hand, as maybe desired) standard and its sewing mechanism only to be used singly forstitching hats and other articles that require such an arrangement ofsewing devices for convenient manipulation, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig. '7 is shown a portion of one of the shafts lat near the upperend of the abovedeseribed bearing-sleeve 15, in which is formed anannular groove 27. is, as shown, on the portion of shaft 14 covered .bythe collar 25, and the point of an adj Listing-screw 26 in said collarbears on the surface of that part of said shaft within the limits ofsaid groove, to the end that when said collar is adjusted up and down(for the purpose below described) such burr as may be formed by thepoint of said screw bearing on the shaft 14 inthe groove 27 will bebelow the surface of the shaft, and any burr formed by said screw 26will not interfere with the proper action of the spring, as belowdescribed. The collar 29 provides a fixed abutment for the upper end ofthe spring 28, and is in practice rigidly fixed on the shaft 14 by itssetscrew. The spring 28 is in a normally-compressed state between thecollars 29 and 25, and to cause the said shaft to be automaticallyadjusted or lifted to carry its upper toothed end more closely into.engagement with the toothed end of the hook 18 the screw 26 in thecollar 25. is suitably loosened, letting said spring force thelatter-named collar down against the end of. the'sleeve 15, therebycausing the shaft 14 to be raised for the purpose aforesaid, after whichthe screw 26 is tightened. This operation for adjustment vertically ofshaft 11 may be effected as often as inconvenient wear shall have takenplace between collar and sleeve 26 or in the tooth engaging partsabovereferred to. 4 The annular groove '27 in shaft ll permits theabove-mentioned movement vertically of the collar 2". ()n the side ofeach hollow standard Aand B is a sliding plate 30, which covers thesewing mechanism therein when working, and the upper ends of saidstandards (one or both) are covered by a suitable cloth-plate 31. Fig. 6is a perspective view of the said yoke 20, and in said figure isindicated the position of the feed-step in dotted lines, and Fig. 3shows said step .in perspective view. In Fig. 6 is also shown afeed-adjusting arm 33, (this arm not being shown in the other figures,)whose lower end engages with a pin 34 in the edge of said yoke, and itsupperend is made adjustable toward and from the edge of said feed-stepto vary the position of the starting point of its feed-movement whenactuated, asbelow described. The arm is adjusted, as aforesaid, by ascrew 35, which passes loosely through said arm into the edge of theyoke 20. A coil-spring between the arm 33 Said groove,

I latter in operative position.

permits said step to have the reciprocating vertical motion requisite toa sewing-machine feed. The said feed-step is placed against the upperbifurcated end of the yoke 20, and

the shank of the rotary hook 18 is passed horizontally through thefeed-step and said' end of the yoke into engagement with the upper endof the shaft 14, and the rear side of the head of the said hook is thusbrought against the side of said step and holds the The shank of saidhook is suitably grooved annularly, as shown at "v in the sectionalview, Fig. 8, for engagement with said forked end of the yoke 20, andits rear toothed end is perforated to receive the end of a bearing-pin37, which is hook, holds the latter in operative position on the pin 37.

. The part of the shank of the hook 13 within the feed-step has a cam 39thereon, which rotates in said step to raise it and to swing its upperserrated end in the direction in which i the teeth of said serrationpoint, and the feedstep is moved downward and backward after a forwardfeed motion by a coil-spring 40, held in the standard A or B, oneangularlyextended end portion of which engages with said step, as shownin Figs. 1 and 3.

The spring 40 is coiled about a vertical post set in a suitable recessin the standard,.said

spring having its lower end fixed against movement, and its upperangularly-extended end portion has a reaction in a downward direetion,and the said angularly-extended end portion or arm, acted on by thecoils, also has a reaction in a direction the reverse to that of theforward motion of the feed-step. In other words, the angularly-extendedarm of the spring 40, which engages the rear part of the feed-step,exerts a pressure both rearwardly and downwardly, and after the feedstephas been moved upwardly and forwardly by the cam 011 the hook-shank (asthe Width of the opening in the frame-shaped feed-step ment of thefeed-step which the spring 40imparts to it, and thereby the feedmovement of the material being operated upon by the machine isregulated, and consequently the length of the stitches is determined.

The needle-bar S derives its reciprocating vertical movements from theshaft 5, as above described, and is provided with any suitable head forholding the needles more or less separated to conform to therequirements of the varying positions of the sewing mechanism in saidstandards, as above described. Said needles pass through thepresser-foot 41 in the usual manner. The presser-foot bar 42 is throwndownward against the work on the cloth-plate 31 by a spring 43, a collar44 on said bar serving as a bearing for the lower end of said spring. Acommon hold-up catch 45 for the presser-bar is pivoted on the side ofthe head of the needle-bar arm.

The above-referred-to take-up and tension devices consist of a shaft 46,adapted to have a free rocking motion in the needle-bar arm, on whichare fixed one or two take-up levers 47, (the number being determined bythe nu mber of needles used,) preferably of the elbowlever form, one armof which has a perforation through which the thread passes on its coursefrom the spool 48 to the needle or nee.- dles 49. One arm of one of thesaid take-up levers (see Figs. 1 and 2) has a stud fixed thereon whichextends in front of the face of the take-up cam 12 on shaft 5, on whichstud is an ordinary friction-sleeve. (Indicated by a dotted circle insaid figures.) A retractingspring 50 has one end attached to saidstudbearing arm of the take-up lever and serves to hold said studagainst the face of saidcam, and thus the latter acts positively in onedirection only on the take-up lever, and that is to take up the threador draw the loop into the material on which sewing is being done, andsaid spring throws the thread-bearing end of the. take-up leverdownward, and also serves to correspondingly rock the shaft 46.

Fig. 5'shows the opposite side of the needle-bar arm to that shown inFigs. 1 and 2, and the downhanging arm .y of the take-up lever 47 (shownin said Fig. 5) is utilized to co-operate with anautomatically-operating take-up-regulating lever 51, which is pivoted onthe side of the head of the needle-bar arm, as shown in Fig. 5, one endof said lever 51 having a slotted engagement with a pin on the collar 44on the presser-foot bar42, and the opposite end of said regulating-leverextends to the rear side of said arm y on the take-up lever 47.

The above-described arrangement of said regulating-lever 5'1, inconjunction with the Presser-foot bar, provides for automaticallygoverning the degree of the take-up motion of the levers 47 by thevertical movement of the presser-foot bar, the operation of which is asfollows: I

\Vhen the presser-foot4l is bearing on normally-thick material betweenitself and the cloth-plate 31, the presser-foot bar is thereby IIO movedso far upward as to swing the upper end of the lever 51 far enough awayfrom the arm y of the take-up lever to permit the latter to be freelyacted on by the cam 12 and the spring but when normally-thin material isbeing sewed upon the presser-bar drops lower and swings the upper end ofsaid lever 51 toward the arm y of the take-up lever to suchadegree as tolimit or regulate the clownward motion of the last-named lever, thusproportioning the take up of the thread to the thickness of the materialsewed, and when a seam or fold in said thin material passes under thepresser-foot the bar 42 is lifted higher thereby so operating lever5'1as to allow a greater degree of oscillating motion to the take-up leversproportioned to the said increased thickness. By means of said takeupregulation, as described, the frequent breaking of the thread during thepassage of material of varying thickness under th e presser-"foot isavoided, and the stitches are more evenly drawn into the material.

The tension devices consist of the usual tension-rolls 52, around whichthe thread passes, said rolls being placed on said rocking shaft 46 andheld frictionally thereon by means of the usual washers, the springs 53,and nuts 54, whereby said springs are suitably compressed against saidrolls. A threadchecking bar is placed between the spools 48 and thetension-rolls, having slots through which the thread runs at an angle,and nuts are placed on the ends of said bar to contract said slots moreor less to properly check the movement of the thread, as well known forsewing-machine purposes.

The abovedescribed arrangement .of the tension-rolls 52 on the rockingshaft 46' provides for an oscillating tension by giving an oscillatingmotion to said rolls, and thereby thread is drawn from the spool orspools when the thread-carrying end of thetake-up moves downward, andsaid rolls also rotate in the ordinary way when thread is drawn overthem by the action of the rotary hooks in the usual way. Thus the usualrequirement of a long stroke in the take-up lever, which is veryobjectionable in a sewing-machine, is avoided by the oscillating actionof the tension-roll, whereby a slack portion of thread, as shown in Fig.2, is brought over to be acted on by the thread-engaging end of thetake-up lever 47, and by this means also an easier-working take-updriving-cam is employed, and, furthermore, by the action of the saidoscillating tension when it returns on the. upward motion of the take-uplever, the commencement of the" drawing in of the stitch is delayeduntil the needle is out of the work.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. A twin sewing-machine having a postconsisting of two separable standards, each of which contains one of twosystems of the sewing mechanism comprised under the clothplate of themachine, whereby on the removal of one of said separable standards saidtwin machine may be converted into a single right or left hand machinehaving its cloth-plate located at the top of a standard, and having anunobstructed space at, below, and entirely around the borders of saidclothplate, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination, a yoke adjustably connected to the standard of themachine, a feed-step having a pivotal engagement with the side of saidyoke, a rotating hook having its shank extending through said feedstepand yoke and having a cam thereon engaging with said step, andgear-teeth on the rear end of said hook, a spring engaging with saidfeed-step to move it in one direction and to force it downward, and adriving-shaft having a gear engagement with said hookshank,substantially as set forth.

3. In combination, a yoke adjustably connected to the standard of themachine, a feed-step having a pivotal engagement with the side of saidyoke, a rotating hook having its shank extending through said feedstepand yoke and having a cam thereon engaging with said step and gear-teethon the rear end of said hook, a spring engaging with said feed-step tomove it in one direction and to force it downward. a feed-adjusting arm33, engaging said feed-step, and a driving-shaft having a gearengagement with said hook-shank, substantially as set forth.

4. In a sewing-machine, the journal-bar, the shaft 14, having a bearingin said bar,

. the yoke 20, attached by one end to said bar and having a slottherethrough transverselv to said bar, and a screw passing through saidslot into the standard A, combined with the hook 18, having the cam andthe feed-step, arranged and operating substantially as set forth.

5. In a sewing-machine, two hollow standards A and B, each containingsewing mechanism, substantially as described, a drivingshaft for and inconnection with each of said mechanisms, each of which shafts by itslower end is in substance pivotally mounted, where by it may swinglaterally from said pivotallymounted end, and two j ournal-barsextending transversely of said standards, in 'each of whichjournal-bars-is a bearing for one of said shafts, combined with ascrew-threaded coupling, substantially as described, engaging theadjoining ends of the two journalbars and providing means for regulatingthe distance between said two sewing mechanisms, substantially as setforth.

6. In a sewing-machine, in combination with a standard A, thebearing-pin 37, secured in said standard, the rotary hook 18, having asocket in its shankito receive said pin, the yoke 20, engaging wit-hsaid hookshank, the journal-bar 19, the feed-step, and the shaft 14,engaging with said hook-shank, substantially as set forth.

7. In a double-acting sewing-machine, in

combination, two hollow standa'trds A and 13, each containing sewingmechanism, substantially as described, vertical driving-shafts for andin connection with each of said mechanisms, externally-tapered sleevesset in the bases of said standards, forming bearin for the lower ends ofsaid shafts, substantially as described, and means, substantially asdescribed, applied with relation to the upper end portions of saiddriving-shafts for regulating the distance between said shafts and thatof the sewing mechanisms connected therewitl'i, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

S. In a sewing-machine, in combination, the hollow standard containingsewing mechanism, substantially as described, and particularly comprisedin which sewing mechanism is the rotary hook axially horizontallysupported and having its shank formed with the cam 39 and thegear-teeth, a vertical drivingshaft, and a bearing for its lower end supported from said standard, said shaft at its upper end having gear-teethengaging the gear-teeth on said hook-shank and having the annular groove27 therein above its lower bearing, the collar 25, a screw passingthrough said collar, having its inner extremity of a less diameter thanthe width of said annular groove, the collar 29, fixed on said shat-t,and a sprin interposed between said collars, substantial 1y as and forthe purpose specified.

fl. In combination, the yoke 20, the feedstep operating on said yoke,the arm adjustably connected to said yoke and a portion thereof extendedopposite and to act as a limiting-abutment for the edge of saidfeedstep, and a screw for operating the said arm for its adjustment,substantially as set forth.

10. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with the standard and the hook18, rotatable therein, provided with the cam, a yoke 20, the feed-stepmounted and guided on said yoke and engaging said hookcam, the springt0, fixed in said standard and having the arm engaging said feed-stepfor retracting same, and the adjustable plate 33, for limiting theretracting movement of said feedstep, arranged for operationsubstantially as described. I

RUFUS CHANDLER.

Witnesses:

WM. L. BELLoWs, II. A. CHAPIN.

